Nas Addresses The Idea That He’s Bad At Choosing Beats On “Simple Things”

“Never sold a record for the beat, it’s my verses they purchase.”

Nas is often cited amongst the greatest rappers of all time, but his beat selection has rarely been praised. Although he’s credited with ushering in the super-producer era by tapping multiple producers to work on his groundbreaking debut album Illmatic, his subsequent projects have often drawn more mixed critical reception, with production often being a prime target.

On his new album Nasir, Nas tackled the idea that he’s bad at choosing beats head-on with “Simple Things.” Like the rest of the album, the song is produced by Kanye West. Genius contributor jonredwood breaks down Nas' comments in an annotation:

Although most fans have been focused on the new music, others have noted that the Queens rapper has still yet to publicly address claims that he was physically and emotionally abusive towards his ex-wife, the singer Kelis. He doesn’t directly explain anything on Nasir, but it’s worth noting the reference to his former marriage with Kelis on “Simple Things”:

Get married ‘cause we wasn’t that match, my G
Don’t attach me to the games, I’m lucky, I’m blessed
One of my exes could be your next, dog—trust me, don’t test